High marks for the Va-va-voom stripey ’50s number last week! That is, unless you didn’t like chartreuse, or had misgivings about the bag-pouf on the hip. Those little niggles dragged the dress down to a still impressive 8.2 out of 10 (though the jury is still out on who would look good in it: Grace Kelly, Cyd Charisse, Marilyn Monroe or Christina Hendricks? My money’s on Cyd. Grace is too prim, Marilyn too cliche and Christina too curvy – it would just be too OTT, not to mention obscene, on her figure!) Last week I missed out on posting a Halloween Rate the Dress – no real reason, I simply forgot. To make up for it, I thought I’d post a Guy Fawke’s Rate the Dress this week. The problem with that is that I’ve already posted James I, his wife Anne of Denmark not once but twice, his son and heir Charles I as a teenager, and his daughter Elizabeth of Bohemia (who the Gunpowder plot had aimed to replace James with) as a …
Rate the Dress: Fireworks by Chanel - The Dreamstress
There were some rather divided opinions about last week’s black and white-ish dress. Some thought perfection, others though the dress and corselet didn’t match, and others thought it looked like the evil queen dressed up as Snow White. All came together for a not-quite-fairytale total of 7.5 out of 10 One of my sewing students found this image and showed it to me: I’m intrigued. It looks so familiar, but I can’t quite place it. The skirt is reminiscent of a Charles James, particularly the four leaf clover dress, but I’m not sure about the whole thing as a Charles James. So today I want to know two things. One, do you recognise this dress or know anything about it? And two, what do you think of it? Perfect combination of business and pleasure? Too many ideas at once? Rate the Dress on a Scale of 1 to 10 UPDATE: Huge round of applause for Daniel who identified the dress as Lachasse’s 1955 ‘Coat Dress’, now in the collection of the Manchester City …
Rate the dress about which I know nothing - The Dreamstress
What consistent ratings last week’s Chanel fireworks dress received! It’s very unusual for so many of you to agree on a dress, but excepting one 7, every single rating was an 8, 9 or 10 (no Sadie, you can’t give it an 11 – or you can, but I’ll still count it as a 10!). Not surprising that the final rating was a balanced 9.3 out of 10. The only mark downs were for the lack of resolution at the waistline. It almost looks as if the dress ought to have had a sash or belt. This weeks dress definitely has a sash. It may not be a Chanel, but it does have an impressive pedigree, having been worn at Benjamin Harrison’s inaugural ball in 1889. It’s come down in the world a bit them, having sold at August Auctions in 2009 for a measly $540 (even if you don’t like it, you’ll have to agree that was a steal). The dress combines silk damask, silk velvet, and silk brocade chiffon ballgown in pink and …
Rate the Dress: Damask, velvet & chiffon in 1888 - The Dreamstress
Apr 1, 2020 - I had one goal choosing this week’s Rate the Dress: it had to be orange. Which is why it’s yellow. Close enough? Life right now is about accepting compromise and imperfection, and being OK with what you have. So we have yellow. Last Week: a late Victorian dress in muted pink Last week’s Rate the Dress definitely had its fan club, but it also had its naysayers. Those fell into the category of people who liked everything about the dress except the lace, or maybe the sleeve ruffles, or the category of people who liked pretty much nothing about the dress. The resulting total? The Total: 7.4 out of 10 A whole point down from last week! And very representative of all the people who liked the dress except for one or two elements. This week: an almost-certainly-a-tea-gown in warm yellow This week’s Rate the Dress is from the Helen Larson Private Collection that was sold by Whitakers a couple of years ago. The unusual train of this dress, which spills from between the shoulder …
Rate the Dress: A Spill of Yellow Silk - The Dreamstress
Rate the dress Archives - The Dreamstress
Jul 20, 2019 - This week’s Rate the Dress goes from fish to flora, with a cornflower bedecked 1870s concoction. And concoction is really the only way to describe it… Last Week: a 1920s day dress with ‘scale’ scallops Last week’s dress was quite popular, other than a small group that expressed strong dislike. More than 3/4 of the ratings were 8-9, which is extremely, and unusually, consistent. Very few perfect scores though: most of you weren’t quite on-board with the ‘fish tum’. The Total: 7.3 out of 10 Despite the strong showing of ratings 8 & up, the small core who really didn’t like the dress pulled the overall score down. The ratings have been creeping up over the last few weeks, but it’s been slow, and still not impressive. Maybe this week will break the 8 barrier? Or drop us down again? This week: an 1870s day dress in summer florals Today’s pick is an excellent example of an early 1870s crinoline-to-bustle era transitional garment. The sweet floral pattern and the frills are typical of the romantic 18th …
Rate the Dress: 1870s Summer Frills, The Dreamstress, Bloglovin
I know that boring colour to bold colour isn’t the most novel or inventive reason to choose a Rate the Dress, but Rate the Dress doesn’t always have to break the mould: sometimes it’s just about picking an interesting dress. Hopefully my choice this week at least fits that category! As to beauty, that’s up to you. Last Week: an 1805 dress of uncertain colour Last week’s Rate the Dress really was the opposite of the dress of the week before: muted hues, simple trimmings, a very different silhouette – and where the bustle dress of all-the-stuff elicited a lengthy and detailed conversation, the restrained Regency frock garnered half the amount of comments. And the rating spread was inverted: most ratings were right in the middle, with only a few on the extremities. The Total: 6.7 out of 10 Last fortnight’s dress was one to love or loathe, last week’s frock did not inspire, but did not offend – and came out with the better rating. But some of us will still adore (or hate) …
Rate the Dress: Big Skirts, Bold Hues - The Dreamstress
Oct 2, 2019 - Rate the Dress: 1780s, a post from the blog The Dreamstress on Bloglovin’
Rate the Dress: 1780s (The Dreamstress)
I took a week off Rate the Dress to rest after the excitement of launching the Amalia Jacket, and the rush of the holidays. But I'm back now, and to celebrate I've picked a seasonally appropriate sparkly dress in festive red.
Rate the Dress: Seasonal Sparkle - The Dreamstress
The Best Dresses, Suits and More for New Year's Eve: Video
Fire Queen Silk Ballroom Competition Dance Dress
